Sangamon County Disaster Risk

Sangamon County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 92th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Sangamon County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (97th percentile), earthquake (95th percentile), flooding (91th percentile), hurricane (41th percentile), wildfire (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 97th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Sangamon County's composite risk percentile is 92th, compared to the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Sangamon County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Illinois.

Yes, Sangamon County's tornado risk is at the 97th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Sangamon County is at the 91th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Sangamon County's composite risk score of 92th percentile is above the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (97th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.